It is not uncommon for new owners of a new puppy to reject the concept of crate training because they feel the pup is being "put in jail."  However, from the pup’s perspective, the crate represents a sanctuary, a place of his/her own, a means of getting away, thus saying, it brings out one of the dog’s most basic instinct, that of establishing a den, his/her own private home. This becomes quite obvious very soon.

Housebreaking: Crate training represents one of the fastest, least traumatic and most complete methods of housebreaking.

Chew Prevention: When you are away from home, a crated animal will not chew your furniture or destroy other property.

Controlled Environment: A crated dog allows many house guests to be more comfortable if they are not dog-oriented people.

Security: When your pup is crated, you can be assured he/she is safe regardless of where you are at any given time.

Traveling: When traveling, you can crate your pet in the vehicle which allows for a safer driving situation. Also, if staying overnight at a strange location, crating your pet will provide him/her its own home, plus appease your host whether a friend or a hotel/motel.

Crates of the proper size for Labs will cost somewhere between $50.00 and $100.00. With respect to the second negative, you have to give the training a proper chance. 

Size of Crate: When considering the size, there are two major factors. One is with respect to size of an adult Labrador and the other is related to early puppy training/housebreaking. The concept of housebreaking a puppy in a crate is that animals do not like to soil their home (den). Therefore, a smaller crate is best for puppies, one that is approximately one-half to two-thirds the floor space as that needed for an adult animal. It is possible to partition a large adult size crate for training and as the puppy grows, enlarge the space until it reaches adult size. This method offers versatility in a single cage.  Equally important is that the crate provides a certinlevel of privacy for the pup as well.  think of it as his “den” where he is at home and feels safe and comfortable. 

Placement of the Crate: It is advisable to place the crate near an active area such as a family room or a kitchen. This allows you and the pet to interact during the training period.

Time Period for Training: The time aspect of training constitutes a lot of a common sense with respect to the body functions of a puppy versus that of an adult animal. Generally speaking, with a new puppy, you start out with short intervals of crating, 15-30 minutes, and over a period of a few months, your pet could be in a crate for six (6) hours or so. By knowing puppy habits, a puppy can be crate trained within a week with an occasional accident thereafter. The exception to the above time frame is during the night training where the puppy is crated at bedtime and out the first thing in the morning when other family members arise.

What to Expect: First, you should have a crate prior to purchasing your pup. The first night you place the puppy in the crate, it will whimper and cry. This response is not unexpected as he/she is alone for the first time in its short life. This is particularly true the first night, but sometimes occurs several times. Your response to this is your decision. However, if you respond by going to the puppy and letting it out to eliminate or console it, each time you are placing yourself on his/her schedule. It is best to let them cry and soil in their crate, which they don’t like, which is part of the training. To help in this regard, take the puppy outside just prior to going to bed and then take the puppy outside immediately after rising each morning. The puppy will learn very quickly to wait for you to take it outside, thus the house/crate breaking becomes successful.

Items in the Crate: Generally speaking, you should not leave food or water in the crate, especially during the early training phases. You can feed and water in the crate, but remove both immediately after the pup eats and drinks. Chew toys and such are okay during the waking hours, but should be removed at night. Placing newspapers on the floor during early training will help in cleaning the crate, however it will somewhat "paper train" your new puppy. The way to offset this minor problem is to take the puppy outside immediately after it awakens from a nap as stated early, and first thing in the morning. When the pet becomes fairly well house/crate broken, you can put a towel, rag, or piece of personal clothing in the crate for comfort provided the puppy does not chew this item (swallowing shredded pieces of cloth or similar materials can cause serious intestinal blockage and require immediate emergency surgery).  We dont advise leaving any type of collar on the animal when crated. These can get hung up and seriously injure your pet.

Conclusion